Steel Tears
by The Golden Ostrich
Summary: This is the rewrite for Drops of Blood...it takes place after the last episode of the first season and is basically (once again) about Jiro becoming human, but with a different storyline and ending. Please R&R!


Steel Tears  
  
The Golden Ostrich  
  
Author's Note: I do not own Kikaider (well, except for those tapes I made *grin*)  
  
***  
  
A beam of wan springtime sunlight slipped between the trees, casting Jiro's face in a light verdant green. His feet padded softly on the mossy forest floor as he walked, listening to the sounds that filled the cool air...birds singing in silky voices, leaves brushing against one another like rustling taffeta, and the light trickle of water running somewhere among the trees.  
  
But Jiro's mind was not completely focused on the beauty of the woods...his thoughts wandered back to what he had said to Mitsuko before she left...  
  
'I'm not coming with you. I have to go find Professor Gill.'  
  
'No, Jiro.'  
  
'Your father and these robots...Gill treated them like they were tools to be used and thrown away. I have to end this, once and for all.'  
  
It was then that she kissed him, with tears sliding gently down her face and her soft warm body against his cold metal one...he would never let that memory go.  
  
'Jiro, I'll be waiting. Promise me you'll come back.'  
  
And so he knew he had to go back...it was what Mitsuko wanted, and his heart ached to see her again. He could safely return without fear of Professor Gill doing any harm to her or any of her family.  
  
The house was ahead...he could see the shingles glinting weakly in the pale light. He hoped desperately that she would be happy to see him return...what if she had assumed he was dead after the explosion and simply forgotten about him? What if she had moved on? She might not even be there!  
  
Jiro found himself running, silently begging that she would still love him. He didn't think that she would have abandoned hope of him, but humans could be strange creatures sometimes...  
  
He shook his head and slowed his steps. Mitsuko would never do that to him...he had promised to return, and she surely believed him.  
  
***  
  
Mitsuko woke, drenched in the sunlight that streamed through her windowpanes. She sat up and leaned against her pillows, drawing her knees up to her chest beneath the sheets. Her eyes closed and she wondered if this would be the day that Jiro would come back. She had faith in his vow and would wait until the end of the earth for him, if just to see him once more. Although Mr. Hattori and Etsuko feared he may have died in the blast, she refused to accept this...she needed something to believe in; something to live for...she had her father and Masaru to think about as well, but she desired nothing more than to be with Jiro again.  
  
Outside in the garden she heard the wooden gate swing open and click back into place. Her eyes opened and she swung out of bed, straightening her short nightgown as she walked to the window. She peered down hopefully, but saw only the flowers nodding their heads in the breeze.  
  
"Masaru?" she called softly, stepping out into the hall. Her bare feet moved silently across the wooden floor as she made her way down to his room. Peering inside, she saw that he was still fast asleep. She frowned and walked back to her room, where she slipped into a pale blue dress and then quietly stepped downstairs.  
  
The only sounds outside were sounds she heard everyday...birds, leaves, wind...there was nothing unusual or out of place. Her eyes scoured the ground for any clues of the elusive visitor and she found herself walking around the side of the house. There was nothing there either...she stopped at the edge of her Koi pond and peered down at the fish...their metallic scales shimmered like liquid silver beneath the water's surface. She smiled as they flashed through the reeds and watched her apprehensively between the lily pads. It was strange how peaceful they could be, wrapped up in their own little aquatic world. They were blissfully unaware of the suffering that occurred outside of their pool...it struck her as odd that some creatures could be so happy while others continued to feel pain.  
  
"I suppose that's what comes with having a heart," Mitsuko murmured. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knocking sound at the front of the house. She looked up, startled, and listened. The knocking stopped, followed by a few moments of silence, and then slow footsteps. She began to walk quickly to the front of the house and finally broke out into a run as the gate clicked open.  
  
Rounding the corner, she saw a tall figure with tousled black hair and a blue jacket making his way dejectedly to the road. She stopped suddenly, her heart singing with joy...she longed to call out to him, but she found that her voice had left her. Instead, she began running again, ignoring the sharp stones that dug into her bare feet, and rushed out of the gate. The clicking sound alerted him and he looked over his shoulder. His eyes sparkled and his mouth curved upwards in a grin.  
  
"Mitsuko!" he exclaimed, turning to gather her up in his arms as she met him.  
  
"You came back," she finally managed to say, and pressed her lips against his. She could feel the cold metal of his mouth, but suddenly didn't care what he was made of...her Jiro had come home.  
  
***  
  
"Masaru!" Mitsuko shouted up the stairs. "Masaru, come down! It's time for breakfast, and we have company!" She waited for several moments before the groggy form of her little brother appeared at the top of the stairs, still dressed in his rumpled pajamas.  
  
"Is it Mr. Hattori?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  
  
"No, even better...come down here; he wants to see you!" Masaru nodded and made his way slowly down the steps.  
  
"Who is-Jiro!" he exclaimed, bounding into the kitchen. Jiro smiled and knelt to hug the little boy.  
  
"Oh, Masaru, I've missed you so much!" he said.  
  
"Are you really staying this time, Jiro?" asked Masaru, pulling back slightly to look up at his face. Jiro paused and Mitsuko broke in.  
  
"Of course he's staying. I mean, if you want to, Jiro," she said softly.  
  
"If I won't be a hassle, I'd love to stay with you," he replied and stood.  
  
"You're always welcome here."  
  
"What about...your father?" he asked hesitantly.  
  
"He's doing fine...the doctor thinks we should go overseas for the rest of his recovery, but we'd love it if you'd come too," she said. "Father thinks very highly of you for protecting us; he would be honored if you'd join us."  
  
"Yeah Jiro, you're part of the family; you have to come!" piped up Masaru. Jiro laughed and nodded.  
  
"I'll go then." Mitsuko smiled and ran her fingers through his hair.  
  
"Can we have breakfast now?" Masaru asked.  
  
"Of course...what would you like?" Mitsuko asked, pulling back her hand and walking over to the cabinet.  
  
"I want pancakes!" he exclaimed. "Do you like pancakes, Jiro?"  
  
"I've never had them."  
  
"Well you can try them now," said Mitsuko.  
  
"Don't bother making any for me; I can't taste them," he said sadly.  
  
"Oh, Jiro, I'm sorry," she said, realizing too late that he was right...she looked at his face and hoped she hadn't hurt him.  
  
"It's all right."  
  
"After breakfast, why don't you come out to the garden with me? I'll show you the flowers," she offered. He nodded.  
  
"I'd like that."  
  
***  
  
The sun was shining fully by the time Jiro and Mitsuko walked out into the garden. The air had warmed from the radiant beams, but a breeze kept it from becoming too hot.  
  
"What are these?" Jiro asked, stopping in front of a large bush overflowing with huge bluish flower clumps.  
  
"Those are blue hydrangeas," said Mitsuko, stopping to pluck a few. "They grow in white too, but mother always loved the blue ones." She paused for a moment, gazing into the flowers, then shook her head...she wanted to push back all the terrible memories as far as she could.  
  
"They're beautiful," he said.  
  
"Yes they are...so are those," she said, motioning towards a tall plant growing along a trellis.  
  
"Roses, right?" asked Jiro, nodding at the delicate white flowers.  
  
"Yes." He reached out to pick one. "Be careful...they may be pretty, but their thorns are sharp."  
  
"They can't hurt me," he said, but withdrew his hand anyway. "I'll let them live."  
  
There was a small splash from the Koi pond and Jiro turned in surprise.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
Mitsuko laughed. "Those are just my fish...come see; they're lovely." She took his hand and he followed her to the pool.  
  
He stared down at their nimble glistening bodies as they darted through the crystalline water.  
  
"They're Koi," Mitsuko explained, smiling at the happy and awed look on his face. He sank down onto his knees and continued to gaze at the fish.  
  
"It's good to see some creatures enjoying such a peaceful life," she said, following suit and sitting beside him.  
  
"Are they happy in there?"  
  
"That's their home...they're designed for such a habitat. And this is your new home, Jiro."  
  
"Am I designed to live here?" he asked.  
  
"Your Gemini gives you freewill, so you can live anywhere you please," Mitsuko said. "But we want you to stay with us."  
  
"I want to stay too."  
  
She leaned her head against his shoulder.  
  
***  
  
"We'll be leaving for our trip tomorrow, father," Mitsuko said.  
  
"Has Jiro agreed to come with us?" he asked, looking up at her from his bed.  
  
"Yes. I think he's very content living with us...he's taken to gardening over the past couple weeks."  
  
"That's good for him...a peaceful hobby to help his Gemini evolve."  
  
Mitsuko nodded. "He's becoming more like a human everyday...it's incredible how curious he is about the world around him."  
  
"So long as his developments remain positive, he'll keep growing into a more realistic impersonation of a human."  
  
Mitsuko nodded again, but thought to herself that he was capable of much more than just an impersonation.  
  
***  
  
Making her way outside, Mitsuko found Jiro sitting at the edge of the Koi pool again.  
  
"You really like those fish, don't you?" she asked with a smile as she sat down on the grass.  
  
"They're just so sleek and beautiful...their movements are absolutely perfect."  
  
"They're like a well-oiled machine," she said, then caught herself. "I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay...I just wish that I could be truly human," he said sorrowfully. "I can feel all these emotions, but I know that they're only an imitation."  
  
"No Jiro, you have a strong and caring heart...I think the emotions you feel are real," she protested, looking into his eyes.  
  
"I'm just an android," he said, shaking his head.  
  
"My father says you're extremely human though."  
  
"That's only because he designed me that way."  
  
"Oh, Jiro..." she stopped and sighed, turning her gaze back towards the Koi. She shouldn't have said anything about the damn fish...  
  
"Mitsuko, what's wrong?" She realized that she was crying again.  
  
"Nothing, Jiro...I just want you to be human too...it would make us all so happy..." she broke off, feeling the tears tracing down her cheek.  
  
"Don't cry," he said, and drew her into an embrace. She burrowed her head into his chest and listened to the beating of his heart. Her sobs stopped slowly, as what she was hearing slowly registered. She pulled back for a moment, tilted her head, and lay her ear carefully against his chest.  
  
"Is something the matter?"  
  
"Jiro...you have a heartbeat," she said in wonder. She ran her hand over his cheek. "Your skin is warm!"  
  
Jiro blinked uncomprehendingly and lifted his hand to his face. "But that's impossible," he said, feeling the warmth. "How could that be?"  
  
She gently kissed him. "You have soft lips..." He touched his fingers to his lips and then to hers.  
  
"I don't...understand."  
  
"All the gardening you've been doing...it's been helping your Gemini!" she said, her eyes now brimming with tears of happiness.  
  
He touched his face again and then suddenly jumped to his feet. "Where are you going?" she asked, watching him run to the other side of the lawn. She stood and followed him. "Jiro!"  
  
He stopped in front of the trellis and reached out for one of the roses. His hand folded around a stem and he winced, snapping it from the vine. He opened his fingers and smiled at the blood droplets that were forming in his palm.  
  
"You're right," he said slowly. "This is real blood, real skin!" He pulled the thorns off one by one and carefully slipped the rose behind Mitsuko's ear. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes and began to laugh as well. "I can't believe it...this is too good to be true!"  
  
"No, Jiro, you really are human!" Mitsuko exclaimed. "Come on, we have to go show father!"  
  
"Wait," he said, taking her by the shoulders. "I want to..." He leaned forward and kissed her fully, caught up in the euphoria of actually being able to feel her lips and tongue.  
  
"Okay," he said, taking her hand and blushing lightly. She smiled and they walked together into the house.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: well, you complained that the last one wasn't long enough...I hope that this one isn't too long though...I wanted to show more of Mitsuko and Jiro together. They're so kawaii! Please review! (you better after nagging me so much *grin*) 


End file.
